3 Mission:NBCDI's mission is to improve and advance the lives of Black children and their families through advocacy and education.Vision:NBCDI's vision is a society that embraces the commitment to a successful future for every child.

4 Understanding RelationshipsReflect on a person who was a positive influence in your childhood.Think about the relationship.How did that person make you feel?What specific things attributed to this feeling?Article

5 School Readiness School readiness is multidimensionalIt includes five domains:Physical well-being and motor developmentSocial and emotional developmentLanguage developmentApproaches to learningCognition and general knowledge(School Readiness and Social-Emotional Development: Perspectives on Cultural Diversity, Brunson Day, p. 24)

6 EC educators support social and emotional development and to provide positive guidanceEC educators provides physical and emotional security for each child and helps each child to know, accept and take pride in him or herself and to develop a sense of independence.Section 2

7 Workshop ObjectivesEarly Social-emotional development is influenced by many factors including culture.Our beliefs and value systems (our family, our culture) influence our responses to interactions and relationships with others.Supportive relationships between a teacher and child promote the social-emotional skills children need to attend to learning/school readiness.Respect, honesty and understanding are important factors in promoting a child’s development.

8 “Every child has a right to a role model whose task it is to open the door and show the way”- NBCDI,Vision for African American ChildrenSection 3

10 T-Shirt” from My Name is Jorge: On Both Sides of the River by J. MedinaTeacher?George, please call me “Mrs. Roberts.”Yes, Teacher.George, please don’t call me “teacher.”Yes, T-, I mean, Mrs. Roberts.You see, George, it’s a sign of respect to call me by my last name.Yes,… Mrs. Roberts.Besides, when you say it, it sounds like “t-shirt,” I don’t want to turn into a t-shirt!”Mrs. Roberts?Yes George?Please, call me Jorge.

11 Understanding RelationshipsActivity:Understanding RelationshipsHow would you describe the relationship between Jorge and his teacher?What message(s) may Jorge have received from the interaction with his teacher?What message(s) may the teacher have received from the interaction with JorgeThink about your own experiences?

13 A Deeper Look at CultureCulture is embodied by rules that shape behaviorCulture is learnedIndividual members are embedded to different degrees within their cultural groupCulture is dynamic

14 EC educators help support social and emotional development and to provide positive guidanceEC educators helps each child feel accepted in the group, helps children learn to communicate and get along with others and encourages feelings if empathy and mutual respect among children and adults.Section 2

15 To understand that culture is dynamicOur beliefs and value systemsSupportive relationships between a teacher and child To establish a working definition of culture.The way we view others culturally is not always consistent with the way others may want to be viewed themselves.As Early Childhood Educators need to advance our knowledge of culture

17 Distinction Between Culture, Race and EthnicityCulture is sociologicalPassed down through generationsConstitutes rules for behavior & relationshipsRace is biologicalRepresents our physical dimensionPolitically definedEthnicity is geographicalRepresents the placement of where we have comeSection 3(Day, C., 2007)

18 “Culture is the lens through which children learn the rules of relationships that enable them to develop.”- Day, C., p. 25

20 Getting to Know YouList 5 things that describe yourself on a sheet of paper that would help someone get to know you better.

21 3 Levels of CultureConcrete – Most visible and tangible level that includes most surface-level dimensions such as appearances, clothes, food, music, games and others.Behavioral – Clarifies how we define social roles, the language we speak, and our approaches to nonverbal communication. Includes: language, gender roles, family dynamics and structure, political affiliation, and other that situation us organizationally in society.Symbolic – Includes our values and beliefs. Often the basis of how individuals define themselves. Includes our value systems, customs, spirituality, religion, worldview, beliefs, mores, and others.Hildalgo, N. 1993

22 Food For ThoughtWhen you meet somebody, which of the items under any of the dimensions do you use to understand them culturally?Is your attempt to understand others culturally consistent with how you want to be viewed and understood?What forces in our society might contribute to our simplification of the culture of others, even though we don’t want to be defined simplistically ourselves?When you teach, what dimensions do you use to teach multiculturally?

23 Another Look at CultureCulture is embodied by rules that shape behaviorCulture is learnedIndividual members are embedded to different degrees within their cultural groupCulture is dynamic(Day,C. p.29)

24 Advancing Knowledge of Cultural GroupsSeek out authentic sources of information about various cultural groupsDevelop tentative hypotheses about behavior and understand how to verify informationMake the distinction between stereotypes and genuine cultural characteristics of groups and know how to use and weigh information appropriatelyUnderstand who we are culturally and have a healthy sense of what we do not know

25 Building Cultural CompetenceDevelop deeper understanding of culture.Understand the effects of racial & cultural bias that contribute to a child’s underdevelopment.Advance our knowledge and understanding of cultural groups.Embrace the value of a culturally diverse workforce.

26 To establish positive and productive relationships with familiesEC educators maintains an open friendly and cooperative relationship with each child’s family, encourages their involvement in the program and support the child’s relationship with his/her family.Section 2

27 Cultural CompetenceRecognizing institutional biasHow classroom materials can represent values and influence beliefsMake the connection to the interdependence of early social development and academic learningUnderstand how EC educators are able to offer family’s insights that can help them learn strategies

29 Bias in Classroom MaterialsInvisibility – the underrepresentation of certain microcultures where omission implies less value/significance in societyStereotyping – the assigning of traditional roles or attributes to a group

30 Bias in Classroom MaterialsSelectivity & Imbalance – issues/situations interpreted from one perspective, usually from the dominating group; contributions of cultural groups to the development of society are not recognized/taught.Unreality – Unrealistic portrayal of history and contemporary life experience. Avoidance of issues of sexism, crime, divorce, and poverty…. everyone is “middle class”. Native Americans seen/portrayed in historical context only. African and Latino Americans only portrayed in urban or low SES setting

31 Bias in Classroom MaterialsFragmentation & Isolation - Addressing non-dominant groups in a fragmented or isolated manner, a chapter, or section rather than in an integral part of text.Language Bias – Omission of such things as gender or ethnic group references (i.e. use of masculine pronouns or Anglo names

32 Class room resources ShouldReflect diversity of gender roles, racial and cultural backgrounds, special needs and abilities, social economic status (SES), varying occupations and ages.Present accurate images and informationShow people from all groups living their daily livesDepict a variety of children and families within a groupDepict various family lifestyles and incomesReflect different languages

33 Grab a book any book and see if you find any institutional biasesGrab a book any book and see if you find any institutional biases. If so, which ones? Let’s Discuss Share tool

34 Advancing Knowledge of Cultural GroupsSeek out authentic sourcesDevelop tentative hypotheses about behavior and understand how to verify informationMake the distinction between stereotypes and genuine cultural characteristicsUnderstand who we are culturally

35 Teacher-Child RelationshipProvides nurturing relationships that promote social-emotional capacityRequires a Transformation of SelfPersonal biases & fearsUnderstand children as individualsKnow own learning styles & limitationsCreates the “goodness of fit”Draws on what a child brings to the learning experienceMinimizes cultural discontinuityPromotes parent partnerships

36 Promoting Parent PartnershipsBy connecting with families, EC educators are able to offer families insights and can help them learn strategies for negotiating differences (cultural discontinuity) between the values and beliefs of their ethnic community and those of mainstream culture.

37 Promoting Parent PartnershipsThe importance of family and neighborhood to children’s outcomes, successful school programs and their instructional practices are more likely to be effective if they reflect knowledge of the realities children face in their lives outside of the schoolIntensity of involvement, both with the school and the education of their children generally, will be strongly determines by a number of different factors:

38 Factors their culturally based socialization goals and valuesexpectations for their children’s behaviortheir understanding of the developmental needs of childrentheir evaluations of their own contribution of their children learning relative to the schools contributiontheir understanding of who is responsible for and who has control over children’s learning

40 “Culturally relevant teachers identify and build on children’s strengths and interests and adapt assessment and teaching practices to the cognitive styles and language needs of the class”- McIntyre, 1996

41 “Goodness of Fit”Recognizes the diversity of culture, language backgrounds and prior knowledgeUtilizes culture as a vehicle for learningECE serves as mediator to minimize cultural and discontinuity

42 Cultural and Linguistic Identity Displacement“Erasing a child’s language or cultural patterns of language use is a great loss for the child. Children’s identities and senses of self are inextricably linked to the language they speak and the culture to which they have been socialized … All of the affectionate talk and interpersonal communications of their childhoods and family life are embedded in their languages and cultures.”- Espinosa, p. 42

43 Culturally Relevant Curricula & PedagogyRecognizes children as individualsMembers of a cultural groupIncorporates knowledge of culture into classroom programs and instruction.Fosters cultural continuityValidates home culture and languageDraws on children’s experiences and background knowledgeCelebrates contributions of ethnic/cultural groupsPromotes self-esteem and self-efficacyCreates common understanding for all children

44 Instructional Strategies and ApproachesGet to know the culture of the child and familyProvide meaning-based and balanced literacy programsDraw on children’s experiences and background knowledgeProvide literacy experiences beyond the classroomBuild on language capacitiesRole of home language on second language acquisitionExtend language abilities of school personnel

46 Workshop ObjectivesEarly Social-emotional development is influenced by many factors including culture.Our beliefs and value systems (our family, our culture) influence our responses to interactions and relationships with others.Supportive relationships between a teacher and child promote the social-emotional skills children need to attend to learning/school readiness.Respect, honesty and understanding are important factors in promoting a child’s development.